In the interest of full disclosure, my experience with Pilates is limited to a handful of private sessions in
1999, and zero mat classes, and whatever of the method has crept in to yoga over the last decade. My first exposure to it was when my dancer roommates at NYU were studying with Kathy Grant as part of their intense regimen. Its origins are fascinating, with Joseph Pilates developing it not for dancers or affluent yuppies and housewives, but for WW I internees and officers, and later as a method of rehabilitation for influenza patients and veterans. (His personal life is equally fascinating, as he’s rumored to have convinced his wife and one of his assistants to sleep with him and tolerate his indiscretions for no short period of time.)
While I did love the discipline, and even considered buying a Reformer and getting certified, I could never justify the cost of privates, and never was convinced that the less expensive mat classes were as effective, so I cut bait after about $500. This year, for the holidays, my parents treated me to a couple of sessions, so I happily made an appointment at Balance Studio.
The physical studio itself doesn't have a whole lot of charm (nor did the woman at the front desk), but it is spacious, and it has a large window in front that lets in a lot of pleasant natural light, and it's stocked with enough equipment to accommodate their group Equipment classes of up to 4 people. They recommend 5 privates before you join those classes, and they have a couple of very attractive beginner’s packages that combine private sessions and group classes to get you on your way.
I had to wait twenty minutes for my instructor, which I found incredibly irritating, but once she got there she was apologetic and even offered me a free session. And our 50-minute workout was thoroughly enjoyable. I also found out that mat classes are in fact a very important complement to working on the machines. I think it's great to get the one-on-one attention of a private session, and it really does do wonders for your form, and probably your motivation, so even if you can only splurge on those first five, the payoff is huge and you can write it off as more of a long-term investment than a mere indulgence.
Balance has another, smaller studio in Rockville, and both locations offer yoga as well as Pilates. Both also, thankfully, have parking.
Balance Studio, 4719 Rosedale Avenue, Bethesda, 301.986.1730
Comments